5 Ways to Make the Most Out of Your Vacation

Everybody needs a vacation from time to time. But whether you’re running a company or running a household, it can be hard to take time for a timeout. With pressures of work, family, or school, most people find that when they go on vacation their workload increases dramatically beforehand.

Suddenly everyone needs things completed before you go, which leaves you feeling stressed and unprepared. Sometimes you’re just too tired to even enjoy your vacation during the first few days. But if you get just two weeks each year, you’ll want to make the most of every moment. Check out these 5 ways of maximizing your vacation time to the fullest:

Research Before You Go

OK so you’re busy and you may not have time to learn the language or check out every last detail. But you know all that time you spend on the computer at work, or your smartphone at home? Dedicate some of it to researching before you go. Try checking out reviews from customers, rather than the hotel or apartment write-up. Sites like Tripadvisor are great for finding out details that you’d normally only get upon arrival. Such as the swimming pool is closed out of season, there’s construction work going on next door, or the windows don’t close properly.

But Don’t Over-Plan

There’s nothing like ruining a perfectly good opportunity to relax than by trying to overflow your itinerary. Just because there are hundreds of things to do and sights to see, doesn’t mean you need to do and see them all. Sometimes the best way to really get the essence of a country is by wandering through the streets and soaking up the environment.

If you over-plan your vacation, you’ll spend it in the back of a tour bus, waking up at the crack of dawn each day and coming home more tired than when you left.

If your eyes roll at the prospect of taking language classes or you simply don’t have the time, don’t worry. You don’t need to contract Spanish translation services to have a good time in Mexico. But learning how to say a few simple greetings and phrases, such as please and thank you, will help you enjoy your vacation to the max. Why? Because the locals will appreciate the effort and go that extra mile for you when you need. Whether it’s helping you find your way, serving you a better drink, or kick-starting a lifelong friendship.

Pack Twice

Packing twice is the best way to make sure that you don’t over-pack, especially if you like to prepare for every eventuality. But with airline restrictions on baggage and using public transport at your destination, you don’t want to pay for excess weight or have to lug it around with you. So pack everything you think you’ll need and then take it all out and pack again, removing the candles, first aid kit, flashlight and six extra pairs of shoes. Unless you’re trekking in the Amazon, you won’t be needing extra illumination – and the six pairs of shoes, well – you can probably make do with less.

Hire a Local Guide

Finally, if you want to get the most out of the place you’re staying in, think about hiring a local guide when you get there. Not only will you pay this less way, but you’ll also be supporting the local economy and finding out real information that only the locals know. They can take you down the paths that fewer tourists take, show you where the local people eat and drink and give you a more authentic experience than a following a group of tourists around a city.

Whatever you do, remember that time is precious, so instead of stressing about transport, worrying about accommodation, or thinking about work; relax. You’re on vacation. It’s time to enjoy your well-deserved time off.

About sujoydhar

Sujoy Dhar is a business and technology and blogger. He is driven by the need to be creative and says that writing for various web properties allows him to stay up to date on one of the most rapidly evolving industries around. Each day provides Dhar with a new opportunity to educate readers about tech news and advances that help change the world for the better.